LOW - 10th Annual PWI Invitational Cup Tournament - TD Place Arena - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (Card #1197)Quick Results:
First Round:
1) “Superstar” Bill Dundee defeated Ed “Strangler” Lewis
(Pinfall – Superstar Bomb)
2) “The Magnificent” Don Muraco (with Jimmy Hart) defeated The Destroyer
(Pinfall – Hawaiian Hammer)
3) “Ravishing” Rick Rude (with J.J. Dillon) defeated “Wildfire” Tommy Rich
(Pinfall – Rude Awakening)
4) Dick Hutton defeated The Grappler
(Submission – Abdominal Stretch)
5) Curt Hennig (with J.J. Dillon) defeated Adam Cole
(Pinfall – Running Knee Lift)
6) Davey Richards defeated Pampero Firpo
(Pinfall – Suicide Dive)
7) “The Anarchist” Arik Cannon defeated Dutch Savage
(Pinfall – Anarchist Hammer)
8) Matt Riddle defeated Mad Dog Vachon
(Pinfall – Bro 2 Sleep and Bridging German Suplex)
Match Highlights:
The highly anticipated tenth annual edition of the PWI Invitational Cup Tournament opened with a first-round shocker as Ed “Strangler” Lewis (Golden Age Wrestling) was eliminated by “Superstar” Bill Dundee (World of Sport). Many who filled out their tournament brackets likely picked the highly favored Lewis to win but it was not to be as the “Battlin’ Aussie” showed what he was made of and came out on top in a heated battle. Dundee was busted open by the end but somehow managed to twice survive the Strangler’s Headlock and a double wristlock submission. He battled back and, for the second time in the match, came off the top rope with the Superstar Bomb to score the pin on Lewis. Dundee certainly earned a lot of respect with this win over the feared “Strangler” and he will now hope to build on that momentum as he moves on to the quarter-finals.
The “Intelligent, Sensational” Destroyer (Kings Road United) squared off against “The Magnificent” Don Muraco (Pacific Coast Wrestling) in yet another of many anticipated battles on the night. Manager Jimmy Hart came to the ring with Muraco but as per PWI Invitational Cup Tournament rules he was ordered to return to the back before the match got underway. Hart gave Muraco some last-minute instructions which appeared to benefit his client who executed a solid game plan. The Destroyer had a tough time dealing with Muraco, especially when the match went out of the ring, and took the loss in the end. The finish saw Muraco pull The Destroyer back into the ring over the ropes and right into the Hawaiian Hammer resulting in the pin.
The popular “Wildfire” Tommy Rich (Capitol Wrestling Alliance) seemingly had the whole of the sold-out TD Place Arena on his side as he hit the ring to take on the cornerstone of the New Age Horsemen, “Ravishing” Rick Rude (Capitol Wrestling Alliance). Manager J.J. Dillon had discussions with both Rude and the referee before returning to the back. Rude dominated early and hit the Rude Awakening for a big near fall but Rich got his foot over the bottom rope to break up the pin. Rich began to battle back into it and stunned Rude with a series of dropkicks and a big right uppercut. He seemed to have things in control until Rude countered him and hit a second Rude Awakening to score the pin. Just like that it was Rude moving on to the quarter-finals of the tournament.
Dick Hutton (Golden Age Wrestling) had a tough draw as he took on The Grappler (Free Agent). Hutton was expecting to face Magnum T.A. but the popular star gave up his spot to compete alongside Bruiser Brody and his team against Kevin Sullivan’s Army of Darkness at WrestleCade 12. The Grappler, who lost by disqualification due to unwanted Army of Darkness interference against Magnum in the qualifying round, got a reprieve and was brought back into the tournament as a result giving the masked man a huge opportunity. The Grappler, known for his controversial Loaded Boot, took the fight to Hutton early and did a good job controlling the pace. Hutton had to dig down deep and rallied back hitting a side salto for a two count. Moments later, he trapped The Grappler in his trademark Abdominal Stretch forcing him to tap out. Hutton advanced to the quarter-finals but The Grappler showed what he was made of taking him to the limit in a hard-fought bout.
In one of the most sensational matches you will ever see, Curt Hennig (Capitol Wrestling Alliance) of the New Age Horsemen prevailed over Adam Cole (Bay-Bay!) (Kings Road United) of the Bullet Club. Hennig is no stranger to PWI Cup competition having made it to the finals at WrestleCade IX where he lost to Bruiser Brody. Manager J.J. Dillon gave out instructions before leaving ringside and then Hennig and Cole were off to the races. This was a back and forth battle from start to finish featuring several near falls. That included Hennig surviving both the Florida Key and Panama Sunrise and Cole twice kicking out of the Hennig Plex. Cole also barely kicked out when Hennig executed a counter cradle hold on a backdrop as well as a cradle hold executed after a missed deathjump attack. Cole had control late before Hennig avoided a flying clothesline. That led to Hennig hitting a standing dropkick followed up quickly by a Running Knee Lift into a roll-up for the pin. The crowd erupted in cheers upon the finish and gave both men a nice ovation for their efforts. Hennig now joins his New Age Horsemen stablemate Rick Rude in the quarter-final round setting up the possibility of the two perhaps meeting in the finals which would be most interesting.
The “Lone Wolf” Davey Richards (Pacific Coast Wrestling) faced a tough foe in the “Wild Bull of the Pampas” Pampero Firo (Capitol Wrestling Alliance). Firpo was very aggressive from the start hammering away on Richards in and out of the ring. Richards weathered the storm and hit a multiple suplex assault for a two count followed by a superplex for a big near fall. Firpo stayed in it wearing Richards down with a powerful bearhug before netting a two count with a knee lift. As the action shifted back outside it was Richards connecting with a Suicide Dive rocking Firpo. He then fired Firpo back into the ring and quickly applied a three-quarter nelson cradle hold to score the pin. It was an impressive win for Richards who moved on to the quarter-final round.
“The Anarchist” Arik Cannon (Extreme CHKARA Wrestling) defeated Dutch Savage (Pacific Coast Wrestling) in a real hard-hitting bout. Savage was the aggressor early as he took Cannon down with a big clothesline and ran him into the guard rail during a battle on the floor. Cannon bounced back hitting his own charging clothesline for a two count and then nailed Savage with the Glimmering Warlock. Savage had a tough time regrouping after that allowing Cannon to hit the Anarchist Hammer for the pin. With his qualifying round win over Harley Race (via disqualification) and this win over the double-tough veteran Savage, Cannon has made a real statement as he moves into the quarter-final round of action.
The final first round match may have produced the biggest upset of the night as Matt Riddle (Kings Road United) defeated Mad Dog Vachon (Golden Age Wrestling). The rugged Vachon was at his brutal best here taking the match out of the ring several times. He also twice hit his trademark Piledriver for big near falls with Riddle barely kicking out. Riddle came back strong at the midway point and twice locked on the Bromission for submission chances and then scored near falls with the Broton and the Brostroyer. Vachon was busted open during the bout but kept fighting tooth and nail with Riddle. An airplane spin resulted in another big near fall for Vachon as he had Riddle on the ropes late. Riddle, however, made a backdrop counter kicking Vachon and then executed the Bro 2 Sleep and the Bridging German Suplex combo to score the pin. It was a landmark win for Riddle over the legendary Vachon and a win that sent him on to the quarter-final round.
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LOW - 10th Annual PWI Invitational Cup Tournament - Maple Leaf Gardens - Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Card #1198)
Quarter-Final Round:
Bill Dundee vs. Don Muraco
Rick Rude vs. Dick Hutton
Curt Hennig vs. Davey Richards
Arik Cannon vs. Matt Riddle
SHIMMER tag team titles: Canadian Ninjas© vs. Crazy Mary Dobson & Courtney Rush
LOW Tex-Arkana Television title: Larry Sharpe vs. The Mountie©
Semi-Final Round with the two winners advancing to the tournament final at WrestleCade 12
